Punk rocker rages against Alzheimer’s
Punk rocker John Lydon is well known for fighting against the establishment. Now he’s becoming known for combatting Alzheimer’s.
Media outlets across the web have been carrying the story of how the former frontman for the Sex Pistols has now become full-time carer for his lifelong partner, Nora Forster. And he’s been described as ‘a heart-warming inspiration’ to families in similar situations.
‘I’m very proud to do the best I can for her’
The websites were covering John’s recent interview for The Sunday Times magazine. That publication showed how the 65-year-old singer – who shook the world as Johnny Rotten in the 70s – shakes with another rage now.
He told journalist Nick Rufford he has moments that are ‘overwhelmingly sad’ and at the same time ‘full of rage’. Said John, ‘You can as a full-time carer get quite suicidal’.
Thankfully, those episodes of despair don’t last long. John has been with 78-year-old Nora for 45 years now and his commitment is ‘forever’. He added, ‘I’m very proud to do the best I can for her’. So in true form, he’s fighting the silent enemy alongside his partner.
‘She forgets everything else but not me’
Remarkably, amid what John describes as the debilitating nature of Alzheimer’s, Nora still knows who he is. ‘She forgets everything else but not me,’ he said.
Journalist Nick Rufford was clearly moved by the singer’s story. Nick felt it would be ‘a heart-warming inspiration to families of dementia sufferers whose condition demands round-the-clock care’.
Just before The Sunday Times article appeared, medical news sites were busy with reports of an experimental drug that ‘shows potential’ against Alzheimer’s.
Science Daily – among other medical news outlets – said researchers have designed an experimental drug that reversed key symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in mice. The drug works by reinvigorating a cellular cleaning mechanism that gets rid of unwanted proteins by digesting and recycling them.
For more information on dementia research and support, contact Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society. (Photo of John Lydon and Nora Forster by Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com)
